Posts tagged as:

habitat loss

English Ivy: Most Hated Plants

Think those ivy-covered towers are pretty? Unfortunately, English Ivy (Hedera helix) is one of the most pernicious, nasty, and destructive of the invasive plants because it not only destroys native habitat, it can also destroy your house. That is why I’ve added English Ivy to the Most Hated Plants list. We can thank some very [...]

Oriental Bittersweet on Most Hated Plants List

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Every week, we discuss one of the “Most Hated” plants, plants that are so invasive and damaging to ecosystems that they should never be planted, let alone sold. Many of these plants were introduced into this country as ornamentals by the horticultural industry and have since escaped the garden and are running rampant through native [...]

Invasive Plants 0 comments

Helping Wildlife with Specialized Habitat Needs in Your Ecosystem Garden

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Many wildlife species are habitat specialists, which means they have very specific needs for habitat for their survival. It is these species that are most vulnerable to extinction, and many of them are already listed as threatened or endangered. Other species are generalists, and are able to survive in many habitats, even those dominated by [...]

Bird Gardening 0 comments

Pollinator Conservation in Your Ecosystem Garden

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The Pollinator Conservation Handbook, by The Xerces Society and The Bee Works, is a wonderful resource for all Ecosystem Gardeners to support native pollinators. Most of you have probably heard of Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon where honey bees are dying off by the millions. A large part of our agricultural food supply is dependent [...]

Pollinator Gardening 5 comments

Brazilian Pepper Tree on “Most Hated Plants” List

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Last week when I wrote about Norway Maple being one of my “most hated” invasive plants, I posted this question on twitter: What’s your most-hated plant? Norway Maple tops my list. Tell me yours at: http://bit.ly/2Q2ih0 (@CB4wildlife) And I got this response from @Gr8RedApe: Brazilian Pepper Tree. Listen to the frustration this plant causes: @CB4wildlife [...]

Invasive Plants 3 comments

Why Your Ecosystem Garden Matters, Even When We Already Have Protected Lands

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I’ve been asked this question many times so I thought I’d answer it here so we can discuss it. “We have national and state parks, wildlife refuges, Nature Conservancy properties, and many others. Isn’t that enough?” In a word, no. Many national and state lands are subject to “multiple use” clauses, which may include logging, [...]

The importance of your garden 5 comments

Creating Rest Stops for Migratory Birds in Your Ecosystem Garden

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You know when you’re driving along the highway for hours and suddenly you have to find a rest stop RIGHT AWAY? Well, birds need rest stops, too! Imagine you’ve flown all night, heading south to your wintering grounds. In the pre-dawn light you know it’s time to land and rest and refuel. You’re TIRED. So [...]

Bird Gardening 7 comments

Palmerton, PA sometimes Mother Nature Gets a Second Chance, Part 1

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Palmerton, PA Imagine my surprise when, on the last full day of my vacation in the mountains of the Lehigh Valley in Eastern Pennsylvania, I discovered that the town in which I had been staying, Palmerton, PA, was the site of one of the largest EPA Superfund clean-up sites east of the Mississippi River. This [...]

Toxic Chemicals 8 comments

Butterfly numbers plunge by 50 percent

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Butterfly lovers have noticed an alarming trend–butterfly numbers are down over 50 percent this year. The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) has sponsored butterfly counts since 1992, and has noted significant drops in butterfly populations this year. Pat Sutton is a founding member of NABA and has participated in these counts since their inception. To [...]

Butterfly Gardening 0 comments

Bird Conservation: a web tour

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Today I thought I’d give you a short virtual tour of the many ways you can help birds from around the internet. Every small action that each of us takes can amount to huge differences for birds and other wildlife. Here’s another example of the dangers of invasive plants as seabird nesting colonies are now [...]